MEDIA STATEMENT REGARDING HB1454 FROM COLORADO INDEPENDENT VOTERS

"Despite the best efforts of the political parties to make voters believe differently, elections are supposed to serve voters, not the interests of private political parties."

April 26, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jim Jonas 720.256.8956 | @jimjonas

MEDIA STATEMENT REGARDING HB1454 FROM COLORADO INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Statement from Colorado Independent Voters regarding House Bill 1454 that would create a

presidential primary in 2020 in which all Coloradans would be able to vote with certain affiliation

conditions:

“We support the concept of Colorado returning to primary nominating elections that would allow for

the participation of all registered Colorado voters, regardless of their political affiliation.

However, despite the best efforts of the political parties to make voters believe differently, elections

are supposed to serve voters, not the interests of private political parties. In this sense, HB1454

gets primary election reform half right. Yes, public primaries should absolutely be open to all voters

– including independent/unaffiliated voters. But HB1454 is absolutely wrong in requiring those

independent voters to first join a political party to enjoy the same voting rights as other, affiliated

Colorado voters.

Public elections are publicly financed, publicly sanctioned and publicly administered exercises in

citizens expressing their constitutional right to vote. A citizens’ ability to vote in a public election

should never be conditioned on their affiliation or non-affiliation with a private political organization.

We agree that the political parties are private organizations that can create whatever exclusionary,

self-destructive nomination rules they want as long as they use their own money to conduct those

nominations.

As unaffiliated/independent voters in Colorado are now the largest voting bloc in the state and as

Colorado’s political parties are shrinking in influence and numbers, the legislature would be wise to

help figure out non-exclusionary methods for including as many independent Colorado voters as

possible in our public elections.”

About Colorado Independent Voters:

Colorado Independent Voters (CIV) is an affiliate of the Independent Voter Project, a 501(c)4

nonprofit educational organization. Colorado Independent Voters was created to help organize and

educate Colorado's 1 million-plus independent voters around developing a meaningful voice in

Colorado’s elections.